Re: washing hair
I still can't figure out why exactly shampoo was invented. It strips the hair of its natural oil and damages the delicate cuticles on the surface of hair. Scalp produces oil for a reason, have trust in mother nature, don’t go against it.
Here is all I have to say about nature’s beautiful masterpiece …. Human hair.
1- Dont get over obsessed with cleaning your hair. Let the natural oil build which keeps the scalp and hair healthy. Generally speaking twice a week is more than enough, unless offcourse you live in a very polluted area or sweat profusely everyday because of heat or physical activities or in a desert where a sand storm is expected every now and then. My point is, over cleaning does not do any good to your hair and scalp, it only damages it further.
2- Use the mildest shampoo available like baby shampoo or any organic shampoo from whole foods or PCC. Look for the one that are designed for everyday use, they tend to be milder. Organic shampoos are made with all natural ingredients and have no harsh chemicals to increase the shelf life and stuff. Dont go for the most expensive one, the cheaper ones are just as organic.
3- Dont keep your head under the shower for a long time, wash your hair quickly toward the end. The cholrine in the water does cause damage to the cuticles which results in dry frizzy hair and flyways. If possible invest in a chlorine filter for shower and drinking water. One filter is good for 6 months and up.
4- Dont wash your hair with hot water, its bad for both hair and eyes. Wash with moderately cold water. After you are done washing your hair, give it a quick rinse with cold (preferably a little uncomfortably cold) water for a minute or so. Cold water increases the blood circulation and closes any open cuticles. You'll feel that after washing with cold water ...your hair are less frizzy and more manageable.
5- Invest in a good sturdy hair brush. Make sure the brush has plastic bristles with rubber at the end. Comb your hair for atleast five minutes every day. Comb first starting from your forehead toward the back of your neck, and then flip your hair and comb in opposite direction i.e from the back of your neck toward the forehead.
6- Use the blow dryer, curling iron, straightening (sp?) iron, mousse, serums, chemicals, etc sparingly.
7- Make sure your diet has plenty or iron, zinc, and vitamin C. Make your plate as colorful as possible .... everyday have plenty of greens, yellows, reds, oranges.
8- Once a week, massage your scalp with oil. Oil only the scalp, not the hair itself. Some good options for oils are mustard, olive, amla oil. For beginners mustard and olive oil might be too strong, they can start off with organic unrefined corn or canola oil and then slowly switch to more strong varieties. In your oil container/bottle, add some black seeds aka kalongi seeds. Half a tea-spoon for the whole bottle is good enough. The black seed releases some enzymes that keep the hair from graying prematurely. On a side note, have a loved one massage your head, it doubles the therapeutic benefits.
9- To dye your hair, only use pure dried and ground henna, not the one that is chemically modified. In other words, only buy it from authentic reputable stores. Dependin on the plant, different varieties of henna have diff. tones … light, dark, moderate. After some research and playing around with different colors, you can find your closest match.
P.s. I am not a hair expert, however, I observe, probe, and research a lot. I am also an ardent advocate of staying as close to nature as possible.
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